About Target

Our philosophy

Our aim is to build a learning culture that links education and training development to economic advantage. We want to provide opportunities to school leavers, youth and individuals throughout their working life to gain skills that will assist them into the workforce and therefore enhance their lives.

Vision statement

The Vision statement sets out the guiding principles and values for the organisation and forms the basis of all planning, implementation, evaluation and decision making of services offered by Target Education.

In all aspects of our service in training provision we at Target Education act on our conviction that all people have a natural need, inclination and ability to learn and improve their life circumstances.

We know that all people respond best in a learning environment in which they are accepted without prejudice and respected as individuals with diverse cultural, religious and socio-economic heritage. Our aim is to provide such a learning environment.

We believe as educators that focussing on the positive potential of our clients, rather than perceiving and judging them in terms of their current circumstances, contributes significantly to their own recognition of the potential within them. We commit ourselves to respecting that potential in our clients and encouraging their realisation of it.

We understand that our clients are responsible for their own learning and as such regards ourselves as facilitators and providers of learning opportunity. We respect the self determination and capability of all our clients.

We understand that our service involves the development of people holistically and that the learning environment we provide must cater to the needs of the whole person: physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

We recognise that current knowledge, methods and attitudes in the field of education are rapidly advancing. We commit ourselves to maintaining a parity with these trends so that we are constantly enhancing our knowledge, skills and attitudes and so providing our clients with the best possible service.

The history of Target Education

Target Education was established in 1990 by Audrey Aumua and Jamaliyeh Drake and opened its first training site at Papatoetoe in July 1990 with three staff and 32 training places. It has extended its operation to three sites with centres at Panmure and Henderson. Target now has in contract between 200-250 training places and employs over 20 staff. It was first registered as a Private Training Establishment with NZQA in 1989 and is currently funded by Skill NZ, WINZ and MOE subsidised courses.

We are committed to Equal Education Opportunity (EEdO) for groups under represented in education and training. Target Education is a Pacific Islands based training establishment and since its foundation has had a particular focus to meet the needs of Pacific Islands communities but within a multi-cultural environment. We have also developed a strong competency in moving the barriers for participation and meeting the needs of women.

Treaty of Waitangi

Target Education is committed to the Treaty of Waitangi and working towards a tartnership between tangata whenua, tangata Pasifika and other tauiwi peoples.

Target Education is a Pacific Islands training provider and has a primary focus on meeting and supporting the needs of Pacific Islands indivduals, organisations and communities.

A significant number of our learners are Maori. Target acknowledges the treay rights of Maori indivudlas and others given under article 3. Therefore our programmes are open entry with the exception of those programmes that are targetted to those groups identified who are under represented in education and training.

We acknowledge the status of Maori as tangata whenua under article 2 and consult with key Maori indivduals and their whanau, organisations and communities to ensure that we are responding appropriately to the needs of Maori.

We also proactively encourage, within the principles of EEO and the Treaty of Waitangi, to ensure that we are able to recruit Maori staff at all levels of the organisation.